This invention relates to a transferring and loading device for honeycomb structures for transferring and loading them for a next process by attraction with the aid of suction force caused by air suction.
In transferring ceramic honeycomb structure products (referred to hereinafter simply "honeycomb structures") from one process to another of manufacture, the transferring and loading operations in the past have been performed manually by workers. This results from the fact that such a manual operation must be performed with great precaution in order to avoid applying a large force or shock to the honeycomb structure, because the ceramic material is brittle. Although the honeycomb structure is hard, it does have thin walls which may be easily damaged. Moreover, the above is more acute in green honeycomb structures.
However, the above manual operation for transferring and loading the honeycomb structures greatly lowers working efficiency and is not suitable for mass-production. Moreover, such a manual operation is likely prone to damage the honeycomb structure and therefore tends to lower the yield rate of manufacturing the honeycomb structures.
In order to automate the operation, it is considered to use a device having jaws for gripping a honeycomb structure. However, such a device is not preferable because it is difficult, if not impossible, to control gripping forces to avoid damage of the honeycomb structure.